Download
noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Definitions
- 1 A file transfer to a given computer or device from a remote one through a network connection.
"The download took longer than I expected."
- 2 A file that has been or is intended to be transferred in this way.
"I got the download but it wouldn't work on my computer."
- 1 To transfer data to a given computer from a remote one via a network. transitive
"You can download a trial version of the program for thirty days to determine whether you want to purchase the full version."
- 2 transfer a file or program from a central computer to a smaller computer or to a computer at a remote location wordnet
- 3 Synonym of upload: to send data from a given computer to a remote one. nonstandard, transitive
- 4 Synonym of copy: to transfer data to or from removable media. nonstandard, transitive
"When I was your age, there were no flash drives. I needed to download photos to a CD-ROM."
- 5 Synonym of install: to load software forced. nonstandard, transitive
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To load a gun (especially a muzzle-loader) with less propellant than its designed load. transitive
- 7 To transfer jurisdiction and responsibility of a government asset or service to a lower level of government. Canada, transitive
"In 1997, The Harris government also downloaded a number of social services to municipal governments, including affordable housing."
Antonyms
All antonymsExample
More examples"If you do not have this program, you can download it now."
Etymology
From down- + load. Verbal form first appears c. 1962 in the Wichita Falls (Texas) Times. Nominal form first appears c. 1977 in Scientific American.
Related phrases
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.